The new league season starts tomorrow !

It’s there for the taking-eight in a row.

Again, as of course some of us older guys have seen it all before, and truthfully, I don’t think any of us really thought we’d have the chance to see it again.

Celtic begin the season as overwhelming favourites, but there are others who are confident that their club-or company-can halt the juggernaut that is early 21st century Celtic..

Ladbrokes hail ‘ambitious’ punter after he backed Rangers to win Scottish Premiership in £1 coupon that stands to earn him whopping £600,000

The gambler placed the optimistic £1 flutter with Ladbrokes, picking the winners of the Premiership as well as England’s Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two.

Actually, I’ve worked out exactly how much he’s going to win..

Celtic have so far kept the bulk of last years team together, and they’re all a year wiser, a year fitter and a year stronger.

Main rivals aberdeen lack quality up front, as was revealed in their europa League tie against burnley last night, whilst Steven Gerrard may talk a good game, but his collection of loannees and bargain buys will need to play at a level consistently that their very appearance in a “rangers ” shirt proves in itself that they are incapable of.

If they were any good, they wouldn;t be at Ibrox.

Hibernian are a different kettle of fish altogether, still in Europe and possibly the biggest threat to eight in a row of the lot.

In contrast to the other challengers , they have a manager who knows what it takes to win, and if they can consolidate on their performances last year and add that consistency needed to sustain a challenge, they will be a threat.

If anyone can stop a “treble treble ” , it will be them.

Then there’s Kilmarnock, a massively improved side under Steve Clarke, maybe not as a challenge, but certainly as a team who can thwart other challengers…

When Rangers passed away in 2012, the hope was that other teams raised their game and improved.

They had to have the ambition to want to go out and have a realisitic chance of winning silverware, and a number of them have. Maybe not enough to win a league, but certainly a cup, and this season should be one of the most competitive in recent years.

The fact that three out of four sides remain in Europe when in recent years this has been unheard of shows the improvement, and had Aberdeen not come up against a side from one of the bigger and wealthier leagues this early, they too would have still been around.

Incidentally, , if Scots were to stop trying to compare their football with England, and concentrate on supporting and praising the positives in our game, we could get back to a respectable standing in Europe.

The English, and their media, are quick to draw comparisons, but in reality one league has billions of pounds and a market of over fifty million people, and the other has around a tenth of the population, and a mere fraction of the finance.

The English need to have someone to look down on, a mentality that goes back to old colonial days, so let them have their game, let them watch it eat itself, and we’ll enjoy what we have.

Yeah, lets enjoy what we have and believe me, what we have is the envy of those in the south… as its something they lost when they sold their souls to Sky…

He’s probably too young to remember when Celtic played there, in the Anglo Scottish cup…

Then again, maybe he isn’t…

Celtic face Livingston in the opener tomorrow, and the club are managed by a former Celt, Kenny Miller.

Miller will be remembered as one of Scotlands foremost strikers of recent year, and an honest pro.

One of Hibernians original golden generation-they didn’t win anything, its a reference to his skin colour-along with others who moved to bigger clubs at around the same time, Miller uniquely is the only man to have featured for Rangers, Celtic and “rangers “.

We should give him a big cheer, and maybe even a welcome home banner tomorrow, as although he has had his wayward moments, he’s still an ex Celt…

One former Celt who will be the centre of attention tomorrow is Danny McGrain..

He will unfurl the league flag before the match, and there won’t be a dry eye in the house.

Of all those who have attained the status of legend, Danny is one of a handful, perhaps along with James McGrory, Jock Stein, Sean Fallon, Billy McNeill and Paul McStay who are perhaps above and beyond legendary status.

An inspiration both on and off the field, and also one of the best players in his position in the world at his peak.

And a one club man.

but did he perhaps stay on too long ?

Danny is now involved on the coaching side, and has been for a while.

And may he continue to do for a long time yet.

When he was told that he’d be raising the flag, his response was fitting of a man who has always remained humble, and genuinely astonished at the affection and respect the support has for him…

“This is a wonderful honour for me and my family and I would like to thank the club for inviting me to unfurl the league flag before the game against Livingston.

“The day is all about the team of course, and their great achievement in winning the Premiership title last season, and it’s right that they should take centre-stage at Celtic Park along with the Celtic supporters.

“I congratulate the players, Brendan and our backroom team again for delivering such a memorable season last year and I am sure they will be doing everything they can to bring our fans even more success. 

“The fans have always been brilliant to me since the day I joined the club, and I’m sure they will enjoy the Flag Day celebrations before the team kick off the campaign to win the title again this season.

“There are many great figures in Celtic’s history who would deserve to be invited to unfurl the flag, so I’m both honoured and humbled that the club has asked me to do so.

“It’s something that my family and I are looking forward to, although we’re all looking forward more to supporting the team and the club in the season ahead.”

No, not quite, Danny..

It’s about you, and its about us getting a chance to say thank you. For everything.

You’ve more than earned it.

Whilst the support will show their affection the only way they know how, the manager added his as well…

“There’s not too many more fitting than Danny McGrain.

“He’s one of the few players that supporters and everyone really identify with. 

“Certainly in my time growing up as a Celtic supporter, he was a role model for Celtic fans.

“It’s a great honour for him, but it’s also a great honour for us on the opening day that he’ll lead us out and unfurl the flag.

“He’s a very important figure for the club.

“What happens sometimes is that more experienced players get lost to the game but Danny’s words, wisdom, I will always try to share.

“It’s important I see Danny when he is around the club as he will always give you a story or anecdote and I just try to use it in my own thinking and relate it to something.

“He’s got great experience and from a personal perspective, I always learn from him every time I speak with him.

There’s a video of Rodgers being interviewed where he tells the story of meeting Danny McGrain for the first time after he took over from Ronny Deila.

If anyone knows how to embed it please put it in the replies, its phenomenal.

It may be that with next weeks qualifier against AEK Athens already looking on the horizon, that the manager chooses to rest a few players.

The first four qualifiers have been tough, whether due to the travel, the tension or the torrid night on Wednesday last.

Torrid. They really do make me laugh.

Celtic won the tie, and perhaps a few more pragmatic approaches like that  in the qualifiers and we could see the end of those humiliating defeats that have clouded some excellent efforts over the last two years.

It’s a results business, and defending is also part of football, as is tactical astuteness.

We’re still learning at this level, and maybe the Rosenberg game is a turning point in our attitude to these fixtures…

Back to tomorrow, and Scott Brown may well make way, and even if he does start, expect him to be substituted after an hour or so.

Other key players needed perhaps more for the European stage may also sit this one out, such as James Forrest, who picked up a knock in midweek, Oddsone Edouard, who may give way to allow Leigh Griffiths some much needed game time, and Keiran Tierney, who is looking at a house in Liverpool..

No, I’m not letting it go.

Not until august 10, when if the bhoy wonder is still with us, I will let out a cheer so loud that fishermen on the Yangtzee river will dive into the water after shouting “what the fuck was that ? ”

If I’m wrong I’ll accept that, and be happy about it.

Some people, though, are too stubborn to admit they’re wrong. some people can be really hypocritical..

The pope , for instance, has recently condemned the death sentence, conveniently forgetting that without it he and his predecessors wouldn’t have had a job.

It’s Friday, and that means it’s time for the Etims

Knob of the Week 

to be unveiled.

This time, its not just a person, its a person, of whom i do not know the identity, and a company, who issued this tweet earlier in the week..

The person who decided to use Nirvana europe, and nirvana europe themselves, share the title of Etims

Knob of the Week . 

Seriously, there’s a shortage of planes ?

Presumably no one is flying to Greece at all, then, because of the prohibitive costs ?

Yesterday, we asked you to …

Fill in the blanks to this sentence: “If it wasn’t for __________, we wouldn’t have __________”

Some cracking replies. The winner…